The Four Worst Traffic Jams of 2013 in St. Louis

An overview of the Tower Grove project, from Taylor Avenue to Sarah Street.

I-64 at Tower Grove Interchange Since the Grove and Botanical Heights neighborhoods have recently gotten so spiffy (neon signs! restaurants with tasting menus! patisseries!), it's obvious that the current highway ramps on South Boyle and Vandeventer Avenues clearly won't do. They're so...grubby! So hard to find! This project will require MoDOT to shut down the entire highway for three full weekends. The first is coming up starting January 25. During the days, three lanes will be running in each direction, though they may be a little narrow. But on nights (starting at 7 p.m.) and weekends, traffic will slow to a trickle, one lane each way. January 25 also marks the shutdown of the entrance ramp to westbound I-64 from Vandeventer.

In addition to sprucing up the interchange, which will now be at Tower Grove Avenue, MoDOT plans to repave and resurface Highway 40 between South Sarah Street and Kingshighway and replace the bridges on Taylor, Newstead, Tower Grove and Boyle Avenues. Accordingly, all those streets will be shut down, Taylor and Newstead first, from January 21 until November, and then Tower Grove and Boyle.

But here's the best part: There's going to be a roundabout, just like the one they have in Chesterfield that confuses the hell out of everyone who tries to use it!

The whole project, which is budgeted at $18 million, won't end until the middle of 2014.

And finally...

courtesty MoDOT

This is the new, improved northbound I-270, but the southbound side is going to look just like it. Someday.

I-270 Southbound Widening The sequel to last year's widening efforts on northbound I-270, this year's project will add an extra lane to southbound I-270 between Dougherty Ferry Road to I-44. Starting in late February, MoDOT promises "daily lane closures" and "periodic interstate closures on weekdays" once rock-blasting starts in the spring. The whole widening project, both directions, will come out to $12 million.